Archive for the 'Violent Femmes' Tag Under 'Soundcheck' Category

Bagpipes for the fallen in Boston. Photo: Kelly A. Swift, for the Register. Click for more.

Dropkick Murphys have always taken pride in their hometown of Boston, a fact that has shown up in lyrics on virtually all of the group's albums over the years. But, as might have been expected given the marathon bombing and aftermath since the band's set last weekend, that allegiance took on new meaning during the Celtic punk band's fiery return to Coachella Saturday afternoon.

"A big thank you to everyone for showing such incredible support to the people in Boston," Ken Casey said halfway into the set, just before tearing into "Your Spirit's Alive," written for a friend who passed away five years ago. "It's very fitting this week," Casey added.

Taking the stage to a traditional Irish tune sung by Sinead O'Connor, the group launched with the fast and furious "For Boston," off 2001's Sing Loud, Sing Proud. From there, it was one blitzkrieg, bagpipe-enhanced tune after another from gravelly voiced frontman Al Barr & Co., in a changed-up set list that included "Broken Hymns," "The Boys Are Back" (during which the singer mixed it up with fans and a slam pit commenced) and the title track from latest release Rose Tattoo.

Let's start with some caveats. Principally: How strong the live stream will be from both Coachella weekends (available on the official site) depends on your equipment as much as the technical competence of festival organizers. Their crews already battle the elements to bring the action home. Don't battle back by having a lousy Internet connection and a shoddy laptop.

Also keep in mind that not everything will air, perhaps including some of these choices. Several top-tier names are apt to deny access.

And don't expect much – or anything – out of the Sahara dance tent. Apparently little was shown from there last year, so we aren't recommending many EDM stars.

Let’s start sympathetically. As usual, when you get down into the lower rungs and realize just how many enticing bookings are tucked into the fine print, the lineup for the 14th Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival stops being such a letdown.

The double-weekend event takes place April 12-14 and 19-21 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio. Remaining passes, after last May's early-bird run, go on sale Tuesday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m.

Beyond obviously rare, presumably great turns from Britpop cornerstones the Stones Roses and Blur and godhead figures like Lou Reed and Nick Cave – four doses of Cave across two weekends, in fact, twice with the Bad Seeds, twice with his outfit Grinderman (didn’t he retire that?) – there are plenty of other names to get excited about.

Because I’m geezer enough to have been at every Coachella, my instant must-see list includes acts I haven’t witnessed in Indio before.

Extending a tradition of honoring the roots of today’s Indie Nation – a distinctive booking pattern that dates back to the first of these weekend fests in 1999 – many of the first-timers are bands initially popular in the early ’80s: the Mael brothers of L.A. quirksters Sparks (whose work goes back to the ’70s); English synth-pop forebear OMD, following their rapturously received small-venue tour stateside with this desert appearance; one-of-a-kind folk-punk trio Violent Femmes; and three titans of California punk rock, Social Distortion, Descendents and former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra.

Still, this poster, currently making the rounds on social network sites, is plenty amusing. If only the folks behind the last, mostly failed Pacific Festival at Oak Canyon Ranch could afford that bill.